Book-index.



L. R. SMITH.

BOOK INDEX. 4

APPLICAT 0 AR. 23, H114. 1',2%%,56& Patented Apr. 10,1917.

Mm All proved index.

LOUIS B. SMITH, OF DENVER, COLORADO,

COMPANY, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COL

ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIVERSAL INDEKING ORADO, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

BOOK-INDEX,

Application filed March 23, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Indexes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such' as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in book indexes, my object being to provide a novel and eiiicient index of this character and which shall be adapted to be applied to the edge of the book so that it shall be visible when the book is closed. This index is also arranged with especial reference to the taking up of as little space as possible on the book edge as this space on books of reference as city directories, is valuable for advertising purposes. Hence, an important feature of my improved index lies in the fact that it occupies or requires a comparatively small portion of the area of the front edge of the book.

Other novel features of this index will be apparent as this specification proceeds.

In the drawing, constituting a part of this application, I have illustrated a book in front edge elevation equipped with my im- As herein illustrated the index occupies a rectangular space or area bounded by site sides, and by parallel planes cutting the book between the upper and lower or end edges of the index. This rectangular area is occupied by a number of well defined transversely arranged spaces or rectangular subdivisions designated by the numeral 5 upon which the letters, figures or other indicia designating the classification of the subjects matter of the contents of the book are located. As shown in the drawing, these spaces 5 are solid black and the indicia to designate the subjects matter of the book are letters of the alphabet. These solid black transversely arranged spaces arethemselves separated or spaced to make room for well defined sections which are transversely spaced and which indicate or mark the edges of the leaves of the book respectively, con- Specification of Letters Patent.

the covers of the book on oppo- Patented Apr, it), 1917, Serial No. 826,679.

taining the subjects matter beginning with the letters in the spaces 5 adjacent the said sections. For convenience of description the numeral 6 designates these sections be tween the uppermost and next lower spaces 5, the terms upper and lower bein employed on the assumption that the book is resting on its lower end edge and that it occupies an upright or vertical position. The corresponding sections between the lowermost space 5 and the intermediate corresponding space are designated 7, while there is a series of corresponding sections 8 below the lowermost space 5.

While these sections 6, 7 and 8, may be visually designed and distinguished in any suitable manner to make them conspicuous, in the drawing, they are shown solid black. In order that these sections 6, 7 and 8 may be transversely separated or spaced, it is necessary that the index letters or other indicia located in the respective transverse spaces 5 shall consist of groups composed of non consecutively arranged characters. Hence, as illustrated in the drawing, the group in the uppermost space 5, still assuming that the book occupies the aforesaid position, consists of the letters A, D, G, J, M, P, S, V; the group of the space next below, of the letters B, E, H, K, N, Q, T, W; while the group in the lowermost space 5 consists of'the letters 0, F, I, L, O, R, U, X. By virtue of this peculiar grouping, the index may be made to occupy a relatively small area of space on the edge of the book.

By reference to the drawing, it will be understood that the sections designated 6 are eight in number and designate the sets of leaves of the books, whose subjects matter begin with the letters, A, D, G, J, M, P, S, V, respectively, the letter A being located above the adjacent section 6 farthest toward the left, while the letter D designates the next section 6 toward the right, and so on, the other letters of this group in regular order toward the right being arranged adjacent and above the section 6 which they respectively designate-or with which they are associated or located as parts of the index. Again, the letters B, E, H, K, N, Q, T, W, occupying the next lower space 5 are associated with the adjacent sections 7 of the index immediately below, the letter B referring to the section 7 farthest to the left, the letter E, the corresponding section '2 toward reason, they may,

ferring to the corresponding section Hence, these sections 7 mark the edges of the sets of leaves of the book whose subjects matter begin with the letters B, E, H, K, N,

Q, T, respectively. Finally, the sections 8 below the lowermost space 5, mark the sets of leaves of the book containing the subjects matter beginning with the letters C, F, I, L, O, R, U, X, respectively, the said letters being arranged directly above and adjacent the said sections 8.

Attention is called to the fact that in this index, the letters Y and Z of the alphabet are omitted. This is due to the fact that the subjects matter as groups of names beginning with these letters are so few that usually they may all occupy a single leaf or possibly page, of the book. For this if desired, be advantageously ignored in an index of this charac ter.

Attention is further called to the fact that the light colored section 9 located at the left of the section 6 farthest toward the left may be considered to designate the leaves of a city directory for instance, arranged in the front of the book and occupied by advertising matter having no direct connection with or relation to an index of this character.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A book index comprising well defined spaces each extending transversely entirely across the edge of the book and suitably spaced longitudinally, and in which are located subject matter indicia, transverse spaces arranged adjacent and parallel with the first named spaces and in which are located sections marking the edges of the sets of leaves of the book containing the subjects matter to which the indicia located in the first named spaces respectively relate, the said sections being transversely spaced.

2. A book index comprising well defined spaces each extending transversely entirely across the edge of the book and in which are located appropriate subject matter indicia, the said spaces being longitudinally separated, marks on the edges of the sets of leaves to indicate the classification of the various subjects matter of the book, the said marks being arranged in well defined transverse spaces parallel with the indicia spaces, the said -marks being transversely spaced and the groups of indicia in the spaces therefor consisting of non-con- Gopies'of this patent may be obtained for secutively arranged characters to permit the transverse spacing of the subject matter markingson the edges of the various sets of leaves containing the respective subjects matter of the book.

3. A book index occupying a rectangular area on the edge of the book, the said area being divided into a number of transverse spaces which are longitudinally separated,

each of said spaces extending entirely across 7 the edge of the book and containing indicia non-consecutively arranged to designate the various subjects matter of the book, the edges of the sets of leaves containing the respective subjects matter being designated by marking the same within the transverse spaces interposed between and adjacent the indicia spaces, the said markings being transversely spaced and arranged adjacent the indicia to which they respectively relate.

4:. A book index occupying a rectangular area on the edge thereof, the said area being subdivided into well defined distinguishable sets of transverse spaces alternately arranged, and each space extending entirely across the edge of the book, one set of spaces containing groups of non-consecutively arranged indicia designating the various subjects matter of the book, while the other set of spaces contain markings formed on the edges of the set of leaves containing the respective subjects matter of the book, these subject matter markings being arranged adjacent the indicia in the other spaces to which they respectively relate.

5. A book index occupying a rectangular area on the edge thereof, the said area being transversely, subdivided into two sets of well defined, distinguishable and alternately arranged parallel spaces, and both sets extending entirely across the edge of the book, the individual spaces of one set respectively containing groups of non-consec utively arranged characters and the inclividual spaces of the other set respectively containing transversely spaced leaf edge markings, the various markings covering the edges within the said space of the various sets or leaves containing the respec tive sub ects matter of the book, the said marklngs being arranged ad acent the characters to which they relate in the other set of spaces.

In testimony whereof I affix my slgnature in presence of two w1tnesses.

Louis B. sMirrr. Witnesses A. J. OBRIEN, MAZE KIRLY. Y

Washington, D. G. 

